"Unanimity in support for action against terrorism": Ravi Shankar Prasad in Belgium

Brussels [Belgium], June 5 (ANI): BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, leading an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation as part of India's big diplomatic outreach to refocus attention on terrorism in the wake of Operation Sindoor, said that there has to be a "collective resolve" in the fight against terrorism, for human values, democracy, and humanity.

After the delegation meets with the Members of European Parliament (MEPs) from the delegation for relations with India, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Security and Defence, Ravi Shankar Prasad described the meeting as "extraordinary"

"There was unanimity in support for action against terrorism, and they were the first to convey solidarity to India," said Ravi Shankar Prasad. "India is a stabilising country, a big country, a democratic country, and there has to be a collective resolve in the fight against terrorism, for human values, democracy, and humanity. That was the essence of the discussions," Prasad added.

Earlier, BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari said, "India is capable enough of taking care of itself. The Indian army never surrenders. But they thunder. We not only had male armed officers taking the front line, but we had women, too, who took the front line on the battlefield."

"What is important here is to tell the entire world that today terrorism is not the conventional terrorism, but we are facing unconventional forms of terrorism in the form of radicalisation, sleeper cells and so on. So if it is at the doorstep of India today, it could be at your doorstep tomorrow," she said.

Samik Bhattacharya, part of the delegation, cautioned about the impact of terrorism and its spread to Europe in the future.

"We want to send a clear message to all of Europe, the challenges India is facing today could also impact Europe in the future. Suppose anti-Hindu, anti-Christian, and anti-Buddhist propaganda continues unchecked. In that case, the consequences we're seeing in India may unfold across the European Union and other nations, and we are already seeing early signs of this."

He invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech and said: "The question arises, where are the IMF funds given to Pakistan being used? Pakistani military personnel are reportedly acquiring properties in the UK, Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, and the United States -- but where is that money coming from? While the country's population is pushed towards hunger, those funds are being funnelled to military elites. Prime Minister Modi has made it clear -- any future acts of cross-border terrorism will be treated as acts of war, and India will respond differently this time," he said.

The delegation arrived in Brussels on Wednesday after concluding their visit to the United Kingdom. During the two-day visit, the delegation is scheduled to hold several meetings aimed at consolidating global consensus against cross-border terrorism.

The delegation includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari and Samik Bhattacharya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress MPs Ghulam Ali Khatana and Amar Singh, former Union Minister MJ Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.

Earlier, the delegation visited the UK to garner widespread support for India's fight against terrorism and highlight Pakistan's role in fostering terrorism. The team received support from British parliamentarians, think tanks, and the Indian diaspora.

Ravi Shankar Prasad noted that they met UK leaders, including the Speaker of the House of Commons and Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, and underlined the need for greater global accountability in terrorism financing, while reinforcing India's democratic approach.

The diplomatic effort is part of India's broader global outreach following Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 as a military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, which claimed 26 lives.

Subsequently, the Indian Armed Forces carried out strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)